Container for dental amalgams



Oct. 12,1937. P, DQLL 2,095,543

CONTAINER FOR DENTAL AMALGAMS Filed Sept. 15, 1956 `Patented oct. 12, v1937 .UNITED STATES 2,095,543 y CONTAINER Fon DENTAL AMALGAMS Peter VDoll, Bad Godesberg, Germany Application September '15, `1936, Serial No.'100,824

l 1 In Germany September 23, 1 935 8 Claims.

These 'containers may'in some cases be com` bined to form a unit or may be inthe vforinfof cellulary gelatine containers.

then available tothe dentist in handy form Vand 10 stituents in the correct proportionsl by emptying the different containers or the various cells of one and the same container without it being `n'eclessary for himto measure out the quantities.v

A great disadvantagevof such containers is that they must be 'emptied for the purpose of t mixing and preparingltheamalgam and in doing this a loss of material-V may easily occur, which may result in the materials not being mixed in the proper proportions and, therefore, in the quality of'the `amalgambeing impaired. Also, the amalgam mixture either has to be kneaded by hand, in which case mercury is either rubbed into the skin or else separate mixing devices constitut'ing additional apparatus are required.

All these difficulties andl disadvantages are ob# Viated by means of the container for storing and mixing the separate constituents of dental amal-y g'ams in accordance with the invention, inY Which the quantitiesof mercuryv and metal particles are stored in their correct proportions and separately from each other; the novel container, however, enables the constituents to be combined and mixed to form the desired amalgam without the hand of the dentist coming into contact with the amalgam or any auxiliary apparatus being necessary for the mixing.

This container in accordance with the invention comprises a bulb-like portion of flexibleV material, for example of rubber or the like for the reception of themetal powder or filings and a vessel of glass orthe like for `the reception of the mercury. The open end of the iiexible bulb is attached .to the head of the mercury vessel. This vessel is provided with a piston, by means of which it isV normally closed. The free end of this pistonprojects out of the glass vessel and on being pressed inwards uncloses an opening for the access of the mercury to the flexible bulb, in which the components Yof the amalgam are then mixed together and can be amalgamated to form the desired exactly proportioned amalgam. After the amalgamation, the dentist can, by means of a plug or the like, remove the product from the bulb which has been removed or cut Thel materials are he can make an amalgam containing theconv 01T` `from the hollow body and is heldl between the tips of the fingers, so that nonel of the amalgam comes into direct contact with the skin, which is of extreme importance for avoiding injury to healthandimpairing the composition.

The mercury Vessel is preferably in the form of a cylindrical tube of glass or the like which is thickened' at its head, and in order to improve the degree of security with which the free end ofthe bulb portion which is drawn on it is held. The bulb portion is also preferably thickened at its open end for enabling-it `tok be securedto the glass tube. l n 7 i `Thetube fromwhich `the mercuryvessel is made isopen at both ends, the openings being closed by packing discs of cork, rubber or the like, and preferably of paraiiined cork. The disc which is remote from the flexible tube seems to guide the free end. ofA the piston, which can slide through it when Vit is moved. vThe working end of the piston acts on the other disc, and can be caused to open the bulb end of the glass tube when desired. `In the form of construction of the invention `which has just been described, it is particularly advantageous to construct Vthe latter discl as an annular disc and to mount this on the working end of therpiston and to secure it in this positionby an. adjacent thickening Von one or both sides of the piston.

'I'he flexible bulb is preferably provided with one or morefair'outl'et's, for example small holes preferably near the connection to the mercury vessel to enable the air to escape when the components arekneaded in the bulb, the kneading being thus facilitated and the amalgamation being made particularly rapid and intimate.

Instead of providing the bulb part with air'outlets, it is also possible for the same purpose instead of a massive piston,'as a total glass piston, to use a piston with an opening longitudinally passing through, as for instance a glass capillary tube, which in turn makes possible a Ventilating of the bulb part, too.

An embodiment'of the invention is illustrated diagrammatioally byway of example'in the accompanying drawing, which serves to illustrate the construction of a device in accordance with the invention, its use andv advantages.

Figuresl and 2 show the said embodiment in axial section, Figure 1 illustrating the normal or storage condition and Figure 2 the position taken up by the parts when the contents of the compartments are to be mixed.

' Figure 3 is an outside elevation of the device, one end having been cut off, and

Figure 4 shows the part that has been cut olf from the device of Figure 3.

In Figure 1, I is a bulb of flexible material which is made, in this case, in the form of a small rubber capsule which contains a measured quantity of metal iilings 2 and is provided at its open end with a thickened portion 3. This open end is drawn on the end 4 of a cylindrical glass tube 5 which is thickened at its end 4. A piston 6, preferably made of glass, is provided in this tube 5. It supports at its working end an annular packing disc 'I made of parained corky A.

or the like which is secured in the position by the thickened part 8. The rod of this piston 6 is carried through an annular packing disc or closure member 9 of parafned cork which closes the end of the tube 5 remote from the bulb I,and thus forms with the packing discl 'I a hollow space inside the tube 5 in which is stored the quantity of mercury I0 which is measured to correspond to the filings `2. Y

For combining the -two components of the amalgam it is only necessary to push in the free end of the piston 6 and thereby to push the head of the piston itself slightly into the tube, the bulb I being preferably held downwards. The packing disc 'I is thus removed out of the opening II in the tube 5 (Figure 2) so that a passage is formed between Vthe tube and the bulb I through which the mercury IU can enter the latter to be combined there with the filings 2.

The componentsl and III of the amalgam are then amalgamated in the bulb I by kneading themtogether. Y This is facilitated by the provision `of one or more air outlets,l such as small holes I2 (Figure 3) in the bulb, preferably near its open end. AfterV the amalgamation, the bulb I merely needs to be pulled off from the hollow body 5, or cut oi (Figures 3 and 4), the desired product being then contained in a single small vessel which can be held easily between the iinger tips.- The product can then be taken out with a suitable instrument, for example a plug, direct contact with it being avoided. In this way, absolutely correct measurement ofthe proportions is ensur,ed,loss of material and, therefore, impairment of the qualities of the amal' gam is avoided, and any troublesome weighing becomes superuous. Further, direct contact with the hand of the dentist is prevented, as a container-is provided which allows the individual constituents to be stored separately and enables a faultless preparation of the amalgam to be made.

I claim:

1,. A container comprising a flexible bulb, a tube closed at one end, a thickened portion adjacent the open end of said bulb, a thickened portion adjacent the open end of said tube, said thickened portion vof said' tube lying within said bulb and on the side of said thickened portion of said bulb nearer to theclosed end of said bulb and means for putting the inside of said bulb and the inside of said tube into and out of 'communication with each other.

2. A container comprising a flexible bulb, a

rigid tube engaged in the open end of said bulb, "a piston in said tube, a closure member at the Yend of said tube remote from said bulb, said closure member being traversed by the rod of said piston.

3. Arcontainer as claimed in claim 2, in which said pistoncomprises a substantially cylindrical portion of substantially the same diameter as said tube, a cylindrical portion of reduced diameter and an annular disc of substantially the same diameter as said tube mounted on said portionof reduced diameter.

4. A container as claimed in claim 2, in which said flexible bulb is provided with air outlets.

5. A container according to claim 2, in which is provided an air outlet disposed longitudinally through said piston. Y

6. A container as claimed in claim 2, in which said bulbis provided with air outlets formed adjacent its connectionV to said tube.

7. A container for the constituents of dental amalgam suitable also for amalgamating said constituents, comprising a rubber bulb, a glass tube'connected internally to said bulb, closure means at the end of said tube remote from said bulb andV a piston having its head located in said tube and its rod. projecting through said closure member. Y

8..A container-*comprising a bulb made of a flexible material, a tube'closed at one end and connected at its open end to the Iopen end of said bulb, a stopper in said tube adjacent its open end andrmeans for displacing said stopper whereby to put the inside of said tube and of said bulb VPETER DOLL. 

